Gary Neville Questions Chelsea's 'Strange' Decision to Sell Matic to Manchester United
In a recent interview with Sky Sports, pundit Gary Neville has questioned Chelsea's decision to let midfielder Nemanja Matić move to Old Trafford.
After re-signing for the Blues from Benfica in 2014, Matić played 151 times for the current English champions and became known for his consistent performances on the pitch and combative style of play.
However, yesterday it was revealed that the Serbian had signed a three-year contract to return to management under José Mourinho in a deal worth £40m.
When asked for his views on the transfer, Neville stated: "Michael Carrick's obviously got one more year but he can’t play every single week so they’ve got to have that player come in and do the same job ... I believe Nemanja Matić can do that."
He added: "It's a strange one for Chelsea to let him go because I thought he was good for them with Kanté and I think they need to strengthen."
Image by Freddie Carty
Matić's performances in his first full season since joining in the 2014 January transfer window saw him earn a place in the 2014-15 PFA Team of the Year. Despite this, it was widely seen that the Serbian was not at his best last season.
Chelsea manager Antonio Conté had already brought in French midfielder Tiémoué Bakayoko from French champions AS Monaco and so it was unlikely that Matić would have played a first team role for the Blues this season.
While Matić's exit from Stamford Bridge has been sealed, one midfielder linked with a move to South West London is Danny Drinkwater. Sky Sports have reported that the former Manchester United youth player has been identified as a replacement for Matić, but Leicester insist the England man is going nowhere.
